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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22807723">Ballum Prompt List #3</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/messedup/pseuds/messedup'>messedup</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prompt Lists [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EastEnders (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood and Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Kidnapping, M/M, not ballum though</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 09:34:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,933</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22807723</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/messedup/pseuds/messedup</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt fills from my third Ballum Prompt List, which focusses on the aftermath of the kidnapping. </p><p>*Chapter 4: "Let me take care of you, please.” </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prompt Lists [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1563700</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>For a lovely anon &lt;3</p><p>I haven´t written anything in a while and it still was a bit of a struggle so I hope this is not too bad! Also this is not at all edited yet (might come back tomorrow to do that though) so please forgive any mistakes!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben was out of breath when he finally reached the warehouse. He pulled the door open with a loud shutter, his eyes immediately scanning the room for any signs of life. </p><p>“Callum!” The only answer were his words echoing back at him. His pulse was racing as he impatiently waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. When they did, he saw that the room was clattered with old machines and tubes, but nothing more. </p><p>No Callum.</p><p>Tearing his hair out, Ben let out a groan of frustration. He felt tears falling down his cheeks once again. Keanu had lied to him. And now he was dead. The only person who knew where Callum was. Ben´s breathing became frantic as he realized what that meant. Now he had no chance of ever finding Callum. </p><p>The rising panic threatened to choke him when his eyes suddenly fell on something. Hidden in the shadows at the back wall of the hall was a staircase leading up. In a second he was at the other end of the room. Taking two steps at a time he rushed upstairs, before freezing on the landing.</p><p>He saw Callum immediately. His tall figure was slumped together only a few feet in front of him, leaning against an old chest. He looked so small lying there that it made Ben´s heart constrict in his chest at the sight. Blood was smeared across his face, his clothes, the floor. He didn´t move.</p><p>“Callum!”, Ben screamed again, a little breathless this time, as he finally remembered how to move. He fell onto his knees in front of Callum, his hands immediately on him, cupping his face, shaking his shoulder carefully yet desperately. </p><p>“Babe, please open your eyes! Please!”, he begged to no avail. More tears fell from his cheek. “Don´t you dare die on me now, Cal!”</p><p>With trembling fingers Ben slid his hand down Callum´s arm until his fingers encircled his wrist right below the rope with which he was tied up. His heart dropped when he couldn´t find a pulse right away, but after a few seconds there was a weak beat. Ben let out a breath he hadn´t realized he was holding.</p><p>Fumbling around, Ben quickly pulled out his phone, pressing the emergency button with a shaking finger. It seemed like an eternity waiting for the call to connect. His voice was wavering when it finally did.</p><p>Gently pulling Callum into his lap, Ben pushed his hair back out of his face. </p><p>His heart was beating erratically. The thought of loosing Callum now, having him die in his arms was overwhelming and he couldn´t hold back the sobs that shook him. He couldn´t stop himself from thinking that maybe he had come only a minute too late. That Callum was going to die, and if he had just gotten Keanu to tell him where he was a little bit sooner, or if he had ran a little bit faster this wouldn´t be happening.</p><p>Squeezing his eyes shut as hard as he could, Ben buried his face in Callum´s disheveled hair. “Don´t leave me. Hold on for me, yeah? Please.”, Ben´s voice was breaking. </p><p>He pressed his lips to Callum´s head, willing the ambulance to hurry up.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! Would love to hear what you thought :)</p><p>If you want to come chat with me or request your own prompt you can find me on tumblr @stillamess22 or @ballum-fic-wishes &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. "What, so he was kidnapped and you didn't think to tell me!?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>For @lucres &lt;3 Thank you for the request love! I might have changed the prompt up a little bit to make it fit better, but I hope you like it :)</p><p>This prompt can be read seperately or as a continuation from the first chapter! And again, this hasn´t been read over again, so I hope there are not too many mistakes *hides* Enjoy!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben had been pacing up and down the corridor for the past fifty minutes. Although to him it seemed like ages had gone by. He sighed as another nurse walked past him without stopping. If Callum was dead they would have told him, right? Ben clung to that thought, even as his doubts became harder and harder to ignore with every passing second.</p><p>“Ben! Ben!”, he suddenly heard a voice coming from behind him. Whirling around, he saw Lola rushing towards him. “How is he? What have they said? Will he be okay?”, she said, almost stumbling over her words.</p><p>“I don´t know, Lo! I dont – they wouldn´t tell me anything!” The tears were back in his eyes when he adverted his gaze, rubbing a hand over his face.</p><p>“What, like you didn´t say anything?”, Lola scoffed. “He was kidnapped and you didn´t think to tell me?” </p><p>Ben turned back around abruptly. “I couldn´t, okay?!”, he snapped, his words harsher than he had intended.</p><p>“You´re not the only one who cares about him, Ben! You should have told me!”, Lola yelled back at him, “Maybe I could have helped!”</p><p>Ben laughed bitterly. “How? What could you have possibly done? Did you inherit a fortune I don´t know about? Because as far as I know, you don´t have a hundred grand either!”</p><p>At that, Lola was silent, looking back at Ben in shock. </p><p>“Okay, well I could have at least be there for you.”, she said after a moment of silence, her anger a little weakened. </p><p>“That wouldn´t have helped him, would it? It would only have put him in more danger. The less people knew, the better.”</p><p>“It´s not like I would have done anything stupid. That´s your speciality, right?” </p><p>It wasn´t meant badly, but the words still stung. Ben stared at her with a hurt expression, his guilt suddenly overwhelming. Thoughts of <i> this is your fault </i> and <i> without you Callum would never have been hurt </i> were running through his mind, feeling like a punch in the face.</p><p>“I´m sorry, I didn´t mean that.”, Lola said as she saw his reaction. She quickly took a step forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly.</p><p>Sinking into her embrace, Ben let out a shaky breath, allowing himself to let the tears fall freely for a moment.</p><p>“Ben Mitchell?” Suddenly there was a nurse beside him.</p><p>“Yeah?”, Ben said pulling back from the embrace. His voice was so hoarse it was barely audible.</p><p>“Mr. Highway just got out of surgery. He´s asking for you.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading, hope you liked it :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. "Please, just let me talk to him.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Another one for another lovely nonnie &lt;3 Hope you like it!</p>
<p>Again, this is not edited, but we´re getting used to that now, right? :)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Callum stared into the darkness of the room. It was too quiet, the silence making him feel on edge, reminding him too much of where he had been last week. His hands tied up so tightly he could practically still feel the ropes painfully digging into his skin whenever he moved. The coldness of the wind coming in from outside. The pain of bruises and broken limbs. And being alone on top of it all, his boyfriend not by his side to help him through it.</p>
<p>Looking down at Ben´s sleeping figure next to him, Callum studied his features. He buried his nose in his hair, inhaling deeply, allowing the familiar scent to give him the much needed comfort. <i> God, how much he´d missed him. </i> Callum pressed his lips against his forehead. He didn´t know how long he lay awake like that, trying to focus his mind only on Ben. On the way his chest moved with every intake of breath, on the warmth that he seemed to radiate and the faint sound of his breathing. His thoughts were only interrupted as he heard a quiet murmur.</p>
<p>“No, don´t – stop hurting him, please...please.”, Ben´s voice was strained. “Keanu, please. Just let me talk to him.”</p>
<p>Callum knew immediately where Ben´s mind was at. He knew he wasn´t the only one suffering the consequences of his kidnapping.</p>
<p>“Ben.”, Callum touched his shoulder lightly, carefully shaking him in an attempt to wake him up. “Ben, hey! It´s just a dream.” </p>
<p>At another squeeze of his shoulder, Ben finally stirred awake. His breathing was erratic and tears were building in his eyes, but when he saw Callum looking back at him he sighed in relief. Lunging forward, he buried his face in his boyfriends chest. The sobs that shook his body broke Callum´s heart.</p>
<p>Ben´s grip on the front of his shirt was so strong that his hands were shaking. He tried to pull him impossibly closer and all Callum could do was hold him even tighter as he whispered soothing words into his ear.</p>
<p>“I´m here.” Squeezing his eyes shut, Callum pressed another kiss to his head. “I´m here, babe. And I´m not going anywhere.” Tears were starting to build in his own eyes as well now.</p>
<p>For a long while they just stayed like that, no inch of space between them, both crying. Ben´s loud sobs filling the room while quiet tears ran down Callum´s cheek. And even as there were no tears left, they stayed wrapped in each others arms. Loosening his grip slightly, Callum took hold of Ben´s hand. He guided it upwards, pressing his palm flat against his own chest, holding it in place. The steady drumming of his heartbeat made Ben let out a shuttering breath.</p>
<p>“Feel that?”, Callum asked, his voice only a whisper. "It´s fine. <i> We´re </i> gonna be fine."</p>
<p>Ben closed his eyes for a second, his full attention on the heartbeat under his fingertips. He gave a tiny nod in response. Wrapping his arms back around Callum´s waist, he instead placed his cheek on his chest. Before long the steady beat had lulled him back to sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for reading this! As always, I would love to hear what you thought :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. “Let me take care of you, please.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>For another lovely anon, thank you for the request! ❤ Sorry this is coming so late and that it´s only a short drabble, but I hope you enjoy it anyway :) This was written before last nights (24th) episode. Also a disclaimer: Im not deaf or hoh so if I get something wrong or say anything stupid please correct me!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Ben.” Callum breathed inaudibly against his lips, their foreheads pressed together. “Ben, please. Just let me take care of you.”</p>
<p>Ben could tell Callum was trying his best to speak slowly and clearly, hoping that he could make some sense from reading his lips. Still, it was difficult to catch every word. Ben only realized what Callum was saying by the expression on his face and the fact that he knew his boyfriend, knew his big heart and the kindness that could be too much for his own good sometimes. Of course he would still feel like he needed to take care of him, even when he was straight out of the hospital himself and with bruises covering his own body.</p>
<p>“You’re the one who was out of it for days in the hospital. I should be the one being there for you!”, Ben growled, the vibration of it in his throat feeling strange when he couldn’t even properly hear his own words passing his lips. He felt like he needed to smash something, anything to let out the anger he had at this situation, at himself. He hated feeling weak.</p>
<p>“And you are.”, Callum insisted with a nod. He was about to say more when he halted. Turning around he quickly fumbled for a scrap piece of paper on the counter and scribbled something down. When he turned around again he held out the note.</p>
<p>
  <i> You´re the one who got me out of there. You never gave up on me. But I’m not the only one who suffered. I know this past week must have been hard for you too. The whole thing with Keanu, the boat </i>
</p>
<p><i> Your loss of hearing </i> was said between the lines.</p>
<p>Ben felt like he was one the verge of tears again. Everything was just <i> too much.</i> He wished he could hit pause on his life. That he could stop all of the hurt and the fear, the confusion and insecurity. His whole world seemed to have collapsed in only a few days and he didn’t know how to put it back together.</p>
<p>Callum turned his head slightly, trying to re-establish eye contact. When Ben looked at him he gently stroked a thumb over his cheek. The soft gesture finally made a tear roll down his face. Pulling him in, Callum held onto him as tightly as his bruised rips allowed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always, thank you for reading! Would love to hear what you thought :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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